YEMI ALADE: Kenya is special

Yemi Alade was in Kenya for a week to shoot a video for her yet-to-be-released collabo track with Sauti Sol, titled "Africa".

She also did a media tour promoting her Swahili version of the song, "Na Gode", and her upcoming album, Mama Africa.

How would you describe yourself and what you do?

Yemi Alade is both my stage and birth name. I am an artiste, and my genre is afro-politan. I believe it’s the perfect mix of Western music and African music.

Are you here on an East African tour or will you tour Kenya only?

It’s only a Kenyan tour, and for two reasons.

First, I will release my second album, Mama Africa, in March. However, there are certain videos I need to shoot before we go on tour, and one of the songs happens to be the one with Sauti Sol. We both have busy schedules, and since Mohammed couldn’t

come to the mountain, the mountain came to Mohammed. I had to fly here to shoot the video.

Coincidentally, and the second reason I’m here, is that the recently released Kiswahili version of "Na Gode" got a good reception,  do I decided to stay a few extra days just to thank my fans.

Why did you feel "Na Gode" needed to be re-done in Swahili?

Selebobo wrote the original song, and thought I would be the best person to sing it; the first song someone’s written for me. Bien Aimé Barasa and I spent some time in Nigeria when he came for Tecno Own The Stage.

We were both judges, and he joked that I should do that song in Swahili after listening to to it. I like to task myself, besides loving languages.

That’s how it all started even for the French version. I might do something off my album in Portuguese. Shooting for the show went from 5am to 1am, so I sent instrumentals over to him and he recorded the translated version and sent it to me.

I tried to master it in months. That’s when I recorded it. My other reason for recording it was also to bring the song closer to the people, because the love I get in Kenya is real and special.

How was it, trying to get the words and pronunciation right?

Of course I had problems with a few words, but what would my team know? Do they speak Kiswahili (laughs)? But we trusted Bien to give us the right translation and pronunciations. I had issues pronouncing “si kwa nguvu zako”.

You’ve been in Kenya before; how do you feel when you are here?

Oh, it’s like my second home; it wouldn’t be surprising if I got a place in Kenya soon. I love the atmosphere, people, climate, even without being an artiste. It’s just a beautiful and cool place.

Let’s not be selfish, I love Africa as a continent. Its culture has blessed me and I’m just taking my time, one country at a time, to give the blessings back.

Which Kenyan habits have you picked up?

I love nyama choma. I never liked goat meat or lamb, however, Sauti Sol and my team had lunch and it was there on the table so I decided to taste it - I was hooked!

Africa, your track with Sauti Sol, has been a hushed project; what can you divulge about it?

The song is evergreen, a theme song that will last for generations. The producer is a new guy I met in Abuja, Nigeria. He tried to play a track for me but  I told him to just e-mail me.

I wasn’t really interested. He e-mailed me his music and I loved his productions. The video, shot by Ovie Etseyatse, is special, and sort of profiles the topic like a documentary.

The video was partly shot in Atlanta (US), London (UK), and many other beautiful places, as well as some rough-looking places in Nigeria. The final destination is Nairobi. It’s like a little tour around this one song.

Did you co-write the song with Sauti Sol?

Yes, and we penned it right here in Nairobi after our performance for Coke Studio. I am a big fan of Sauti Sol, so as I was leaving the Coke Studio premises, I was playing the beats this guy had sent me and I went to them and asked them what they thought

about it. They said, “Superb! Let’s meet in the studio”. They later picked me up and we went to their studio.

Basically, we did the audio sketch in one day, but then later re-voiced it professionally. Thereafter, my team later did the mastering.

Why the title "Mama Africa"?

For a while now that’s been my nickname. I’m not old enough to be “Mama Africa”; she gave birth to all of us. This is me playing my part to bless Africa. Besides, it features other African artistes.

Will your album have an East African tour?

For this one, we’re looking to have concerts in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. We’re working on how possible that will be. I performed in Tanzania last year at the Festival of Hope. There was a very big crowd.

Why do you think your fashion style has been creating trends?

The key to fashion for me is comfort first. The easy way for me to be content with stuff is to make them.

I get bored easily, and the most interesting fabric on earth has to be Ankara. I have designed every single outfit you’ve seen me in. I feed off the beauty of the different colours and patterns.

I have six pieces of jewellery off my Yemi Alade Collections made of antique gold, silver and leather. Some of them are named after my songs, like "Johnny" and "Tangerine"; "Johnny" has outsold the rest.

How do you keep fit?

It’s difficult, but you do know that keeping fit is 80 per cent what you eat, right? I also have dance rehearsals twice a week for four to six hours, besides working out at home.

Who does your choreography?

I create my own moves.

You run a charity...

I have an NGO that encourages kids to stay in school by providing a few needs they lack such as books.

However, I’m most active with One Org, known for #StrongGirl; it reminds governments of the need to empower women.

Do you feel the pressure of being a role model?

I feel the pressure because my fans keep asking for more. A few girls and guys have told me they like the things I do.

It’s a lot of weight to carry on your shoulders for one person, but I just tell them to be themselves and do what makes them happy– exactly what I’m doing.

Are you mentoring anyone?

I’m at a stage where I’m not even the one running my jewellery line because I have no time. However, I  take every opportunity to encourage and empower people. And whenever there’s a situation in which I can help, especially in the entertainment industry, I never hesitate to give back.

What would you be doing if you were not a musician?

I would use my BSc in Geography to get a job, which sounds very boring. Or I would have gone into catering because I like food. Or maybe I would have been a fashion designer, or even an actress.